ONI
by That Dastard Cerberus
Summary: After her brother vanishes, Chizuru ventures out into the unknown, determined to find him. Only she soon finds herself in a world ready for war, with whispers of revolution and revolt at every corner. Worst yet, monsters imitating her kind have begun popping up, along with a mysterious masked man, and her capture by the infamous Roman Wolves. Can she find her brother and love? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: ONI

**Author**: Cecil Kain Cerberus

**Characters (central focus)**: Chizuru and the six male leads

**Pairings:** I'm not telling~

**Rating**: T/might change to M

**Warnings for the reader: **I like Chizuru as she is, and I am a fan of all the guys (minus Itou, who can die in a sewer drain for all I care).

**Setting**: AU verse, where Japan has been colonized. Still takes place in the 1860s. Other fictional things might occur if the author sees fit to add them. History, as we know it, is useless here.

**Summary**: Chizuru was raised to become the next clan head alongside her brother. But one night, her brother disappears under mysterious circumstances. To protect her family, she ventures alone outside of the compound that she called home out to the world beyond the stone walls. However, this leads her into a world twisted by greed, deception, corruption and lust. She has no friends, no allies in this outside world, and then, as if her luck couldn't get any better, she runs into the last people she ever wanted to come across. Taken into a world full of conspiracy, corruption, murder, and betrayal, will she be able to find her brother as she hoped? Will she also find herself resting in the arms of a man who she once thought she could never trust?

**Genre: **drama, mystery, supernatural, family, friendship, western, alternate universe… ummm, am I missing something?

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Idea Factory/Otomate does. But if I did . . . well, let's just say some people would lose their sanity, while others would . . . erm . . . yeah.

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Preface

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He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. Lamentations 3:10

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_In 1594 AD, a terrible plague engulfed the land of Japan. No one knows where it came from, or even what it was. Yet all were brought to their knees by this terrible disease, falling one by one, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons. It came quickly, silently, like a thief in the night, only to leave a corpse in its wake the next morning, turned black, as if cursed._

_Not even the great generals Tokugawa and Toyotomi could not defeat the monstrous, faceless enemy. Both fell onto their deathbeds, never to rise again. More great leaders fell, until entire valleys could be filled with the dead. There was no place to bury loved ones, as the numbers grew higher and higher. Few were spared from its touch, and fewer still were left unscathed. _

_Many turned to faith, seeking answers, but none would come. Not even Amaterasu, goddess and ancestor the royal family, could save her own children. Terror, it seems, have become Japan's new shogun._

_Yet, beyond the sea, voices called out to Japan, during her greatest time of need. Two foreign countries, the Nanban and Kōmō, came to Japan's rescue, promising health and sanctum from this terrible catastrophe. Somehow, their very presence warded off the darkness, and for a spell, Japan was safe._

_In gratitude, the people of Japan offered land, food, and their very lives to these foreigners. The foreigners soon took command of office, sharing the knowledge of the outside world to the weakened country. The sun had risen once again in the land._

_Haven was given to the children of Japan, yet at a great cost…_

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_1862 AD, March 5th;_

_Dear sister,_

_I'm writing to you from a foreign country, training to become a splendid soldier, as Kondo-san put it. He is leading us, too, even though he is also under training. You see the look of the officials as he spars. They're coming to understand the genius Kondo-san is._

_Europe is far more crowded than I had imagined. Rome doesn't really hold a candle to its elder brother, apparently. I've yet to see it myself, but I'll take what Kondo-san has to say about it._

_I'm really glad for him, too. It's like you said in your last letter; he's earned this position. I can't wait to see him receive his coat of arms. He will be marked officially a solider of the Republic, and with that title, we can finally do what we've been dreaming of doing._

_But I'm rambling too much. How are you? You said the farmers were having difficulty with the crops this year. I wish I were there to help, but I must be here with Kondo-san. I hope you understand._

_Anyway, Kondo-san said once winter of next year comes, we'll sail back to Nagasaki. I suppose we won't have much time, though, as we will most likely be stationed immediately after arrival. _

_Still, though, I hope to see you soon, sister. Take care of yourself._

_Sincerely, your little brother;_

_Souji Okita_

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A little bit of an info dump for readers;

As I've mentioned above, I'm taking many creative liberties with this story. So many historical facts may be altered in order to serve the story. Now, onto the new colonized Japan;

Coat of Arms – much like the clan crest of samurai families, the Coat of Arms was taken into Japanese culture to show what station, level of hierarchy, they were in, what family they served under, and which country.

The Republic – Japanese refer to the Dutch government under this title.

The Empire – Japanese refer to the Portuguese government under this title.

Nanban – means "southern barbarian," old term by the Japanese to describe many foreigners, including the Portuguese. Now it is a demeaning term by the Dutch Japanese to describe those loyal the Empire.

Kōmō – means "red-haired," old term by the Japanese to describe the Dutch foreigners. Now it is a demeaning term by the Portuguese Japanese to describe those loyal to the Republic.

Military training in the Netherlands – the Dutch ship soldiers for the Republic to their motherland of the Netherlands to be trained. Normally only those deemed worthy get such an opportunity.

Rome – Not to be confused with Italy's Rome, this city replaces Edo during the Tokugawa regime.

Side note – The Portuguese and the Dutch are locked in a war in Japan over territory. More details will be given the following chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**So this will be a thing where I answer questions in reviews.**

**Person P – Actually, Chi is still her "useless" self. :D She just knows what the hell she is, that's all. I actually have a problem with powerful!Chizuru, just like I have a problem with godmode!Naruto. I prefer strength of character over physical strength. Sorry if that disappointed you. ^-^;**

**Gozita444 – I think I saw your name around here. That's cool that you picked my story to come back to! I hope you enjoy it! I really struggled with the summary, and I'm probably gonna tweek it a bit. So I'm glad you liked it! As for Kazama, I was actually trying to keep it neutral, with no guy in mind, but you know what? I think it's fine hinting towards Kazama. But I'm still trying to keep the pairings out for a bit, so I can built it up. As for the Shinsengumi being in Europe, I did say the history books are useless. After all, Japan has been colonized!**

**Also, I seemed to notice people were confused about the beginning and setting of ONI. So, hopefully this will settle everything;**

"**ONI takes place in an alternative reality, where Japan has become colonized by Portugal and the Netherlands. The Japanese have become used to be ruled by foreigners; and even though they still have their emperor, he is just a figure head and nothing more. The Tokagawa regime never got a chance to start, so the Choshu are not trying to destroy the Shogunate. The members of the Shinsengumi grew up being educated by a European system and therefore have no issues with the ruling parties. The oni have lived in compounds, separated completely from the rest of the human population and rarely interact with the outside, save for the leaders and elders of the clans."**

_-::ONI::-_

_-:Chapter I – City Between Two Kingdoms:-_

xxxxxx

Once, long ago, there laid a city belonging to the Emperor. It was called the Capital City, nestled in a large valley, surrounded by mountains, with three rivers weaving through it. Since colonization, it remained mostly untouched, respected by both the Republic and the Empire for the revere it received from the natives. However, recent activities underground has caused the once peaceful city to quake; the noble palace holding the beloved Emperor found a large shadow cast over it.

Desperate for safety, the city pleaded for both kingdoms to protect it, not caring who claimed victory, as long as the divine lord was protected. But therein lay the problem. For once the door was opened, it could never be shut. And neither could the change that soon followed. Traditional Japanese homes were soon forsaken for the Victorian style favored by the British Empire; a town hall was built into every district to ensure proper enforcement and space for meeting and other official business. The greatest hall was built nearest to the palace, its wall close in height, almost as if challenging the other structure with its girth.

Of course, the actual politics in the city was a far cry from such a thing; at least the people of the Capital City liked to think so. While the Republic and the Empire were sworn enemies, both sides knew they had to protect the city at all cost from the usurpers that threatened everything both powers stood for.

Gossip from man to wife, woman to woman, child to child, spoke of unthinkable things. Removing the outside forces from their lands; returning to the old way of the warrior, the samurai. Such nonsense, many spat. The old times were riddled with war, bloodshed, and constant changes of hand in regards to power. Japan's children knew better now. She didn't need a samurai's hand to protect her anymore. She was sophisticated now, too old and wise to use the barbaric arts of the sword. And even though many of the noblemen still carried the sword, many used it for show, a toy or fancy accessory to display status, nothing more.

Yet no one was willing to admit, at night, things scurried along the narrow, tight streets of the Capital. Shadows moved without warning, bounding from building to building. Whispers of steel, moonlight glittering off thin blades, and other ghastly visions plagued the nightly walkers of the imperial city. Something was amiss, but tongues remained still as eyes flickered feverishly back and forward. Ghost stories and tales of yore, elderly men told their children. Just the senseless ramblings of drunks, a husband to a wife said.

Oh, how far it was from the truth.

It was one such night, in a lonely street, void of any life that a shadow did stir. Moving arrogantly, posture lax yet controlled, the figure sauntered through the black night. The figure was tall, lanky in stature, and covered head to toe in black. The clothing was tight around the skin, save for the hood, which was held only by a string that wrapped around to secure a white fox mask.

The mask itself was eerie, with red lines warping into narrow slits for eyes, and an eerie grin. The effect only seemed to escalate when the figure entered into a shadow, dark clothing blending perfectly while leaving the white mask hanging in the darkness, as if a ghost was guiding the mask along.

It might as well have been a ghost, with how the figure walked, not making a sound. Each step appeared casual, yet somehow calculated, carefully moving without breaking stride, dodging anything that could stir the silence of the night.

The figure finally stopped moving when it reached a crosswalk, the alley opening to the wide street of the main road. And there it waited, not moving a muscle, as still as the air. Suddenly, in the distance, a whip cracked, and horses neighed. Soon, the darkness was broken by a single lantern, dangling from a carriage heading down the street. Two grey colored horses pulled the carriage along, snorting as the whip again cracked over their heads. The coachman, cloaked by the shadows casted by the contours of the carriage in the lantern's dim light, griped the reins hard, jerking back. The horses neighed again, stomping their hooves to a halt.

The coachman didn't move as the masked figure moved quickly, leaping into the now open door of the carriage. The moment the door slammed shut, the coachman moved, cracking his whip and jerking the reins again. When the carriage restarted its dash down the main road, the people inside began to converse.

"So far, the rumors are just as they say. Rumors." Opposite to the masked figure, a man wearing a tan suit spoke, his blazing red hair appearing as a murky brown in the dark coach. "However, I do believe there is truth to a few of them. One being that there are whispers of rebellion among many of the Emperor's supporters."

"Of course there is." The masked figure moved its arms to its face, removing the pale mask and hood, revealing a man's face, soft and clean cut, unlike his companion's. He spoke his light colored hair and scratched his head in irritation, unusually vivid red eyes glaring in the darkness. "Humans are infinitely foolish creatures. They only seek power, wealth, and fame, even at the cost of everything."

"Do you think the Emperor is inciting such foolishness?" the red-haired man asked, his own blue eyes narrowing. "From what I understand, his body is ailing. Why bring such stress and conflict when he is rapidly approaching his death bed?"

"It doesn't matter if he is the one responsible." Shrugging his slender shoulders, the light haired man harrumphed. "The Emperor has been nothing more than an icon and idol to worship. A worthless piece of trash with no real power outside of what the people give him. If he can't even control his own men, though, then his reign has truly come to an end."

The red haired man sighed heavily, before leaning down and pulling out a suitcase. Bringing it to his lap, he popped it open. "Outside of the Emperor's court, the rest of the rumors really hold no water. My connections found no basis in the tales of monsters running freely in the streets, no beings with immortality, and certainly no creatures that eat other humans."

A sneer spread on the light haired man. The red haired man noticed it almost immediately, clearing his throat and began to stroke his goatee. "However, that doesn't dismiss any of the claims, either." When his companion gave no reaction, he sighed loudly. "We will get to the bottom of this, rest assured. My associates are still looking into the matter, and who knows? Perhaps a lead will surface."

"If not, we'll have to force their hand."

The red haired man jolted in shock, his blue eyes wide. "Force their—Kazama, you can't—"

"Never call me that." The light haired man's voice was sharp, icy, cutting through the night air with a fury that seemed to freeze the breeze. The red haired man eyed him warily, watching his face carefully before speaking again, this time carefully wording his next sentence. "My apologies. I forgot our location." Peeking through the blinds of the coach, the red haired man then said, "We are almost there. Best prepare yourself."

"I am always ready," the light haired man replied, already midway with replacing his mask back. The coach soon stopped outside the entrance to a well-lit area. The building structures were far different from the rest of the city, possessing wide, curved roofs, rice paper walls, and wooden beams. Paper lanterns lit every corner of the district, and noise could be heard all around as masses of people, many dressed in eastern clothes, merrily laughed and drank.

The red haired man opened the door, briefcase in hand, and stepped out onto the dirt path. A man in a plain kimono stood at the entrance, and the red haired man bowed to him respectfully. The other man returned the gesture stiffly, before turning around and entering back into the bright place. Taking a step to follow him, the red haired man paused, glancing over his shoulder to see the coach door, which he had purposely left open, shut. Sighing, he whispered, "Gods protect, Chikage," before continuing on his path.


End file.
